592 Cultivation of Arable Land.—Beans.

promoting the putrefaétion and decay of the turfy or grafly material, and the defiruétion of weeds, by the fhade and‘fmothering clofenefs which they pro- duce on the furface of the ground. Though this fort of crop is capable of being cultivated after moft forts of vegetable produ@tions, it feems probable, from its poffefling a tap root, and ftriking deeply into the earth, that it may be grown to the moft benefit in fucceflion to fuch forts of plants as are of the fibrous-rooted kind.

The common method of preparing the foil for the reception of bean crops is merely by giving one ploughing at the period when the feed is put into the ground in the fpring months. But it is a better pra€tice probably to plough the land into ridglets of about two feet fix inches in width, as early as poflible in the autumn, after the manure has been applied, which fhould conftantly be laid on when beans are fown after grain crops; in which ftate it fhould remain until the period at which the beans are to be put in. By the ufe of a portion of manure in this manner, the crops are rendered more ftrong and vigorous in their growth, at the fame time that the branching of their lateral fhoots is confider- ably promoted.

By this method of ridging up the land in the autumn, and manuring it, on the moift kinds of heavy foils much advantage is produced. This’ form of ridge preferves the ground dry, and in a healthy condition, during the winter months, and at the fame time prevents the manure that is included in the middle of them from being diffolved and wafhed away by heavy rains; and, in addition, the land is kept in fo dry a ftate at the feed-time, as to afford the cultivator an opportunity of putting in the beans whenever the weather is fair*.

Where the drill culture is praétifed, more frequent ploughings will be requi- fite, in order that the land may be brought into fuch a ftate of tilth as that the drill machine may diftribute the feed with uniformity.

Time of fowing.—The feafon of putting this crop into the ground muft de- pend in fome meafure upon the nature of the climate and fituation. In the more mild and lefs expofed places in the fouthern diftri€ts, they may be put into the earth with propriety during the whole of the month of January; and in fuch as are more expofed, as early in February as the bufinefs can be accom- plifhed with propriety. But in the more northern parts of the kingdom, a later period may be more fuitable, as in March. When the period of planting is delayed too long, there may often be danger of the crops not being fufficiently

* Correéted Report of Middlefex.